 Thermodynamics is the study of the effects of

work, heat, and energy on a system

 Thermodynamics is only concerned with
macroscopic (large-scale) changes and
observations
 All of thermodynamics can be expressed in
terms of four quantities
◦ Temperature (T)
◦ Internal Energy (U)
◦ Entropy (S)
◦ Heat (Q)
 These quantities will be defined as we
progress through the lesson
 Adiabatic – no heat transferred
 Isothermal – constant temperature
 Isobaric – constant pressure
 Isochoric – constant volume
 An adiabatic process transfers no heat
◦ therefore Q = 0
 ΔU = Q – W
 When a system expands adiabatically, W is
positive (the system does work) so ΔU is
negative.
 When a system compresses adiabatically, W is
negative (work is done on the system) so ΔU
is positive.
 An isothermal process is a constant
temperature process. Any heat flow into or
out of the system must be slow enough to
maintain thermal equilibrium
 For ideal gases, if ΔT is zero, ΔU = 0
 Therefore, Q = W
◦ Any energy entering the system (Q) must leave as
work (W)
 An isobaric process is a constant pressure
process. ΔU, W, and Q are generally non-
zero, but calculating the work done by an
ideal gas is straightforward
W = P·ΔV
 Water boiling in a saucepan is an example of
an isobar process
 An isochoric process is a constant volume
process. When the volume of a system
doesn’t change, it will do no work on its
surroundings. W = 0
ΔU = Q
 Heating gas in a closed container is an
isochoric process
 The amount of heat required to raise a certain
mass of a material by a certain temperature is
called heat capacity
Q = mcxΔT
 The constant cx is called the specific heat of
substance x, (SI units of J/kg·K)
 CV = heat capacity at constant volume
CV = 3/2 R
 CP = heat capacity at constant pressure
CP = 5/2 R
 For constant volume
Q = nCVΔT = ΔU

 The universal gas constant R = 8.314 J/mol·K

 Measure of internal energy of a closed system
◦ sum of internal energy plus the product of
pressure and volume
 For constant pressure, the enthalpy increases with
heat

 Specific enthalpy (J/kg)

◦ Energy per unit of mass (PCI)
 Low (hidrocarbonets)
 Fuel 42MJ/kg
 Propane 46 MJ/k
 The total amount of energy in a closed
system remains constant over time (are said
to be conserved over time)
◦ The increase in the internal energy of a system is
equal to the amount of energy added by heating the
system minus the amount lost as a result of the
work done by the system on its surroundings.
 Energy cannot be created nor destroyed
 Energy can change form (for example chemical to
thermal